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T O P I C R E V I E W

rje71

I am new here to the forum and my main interest in from the mid 70's back. I passed up the opportunity to add the recently produced canceled Apollo program patches (18, 19 and 20). I understand there is speculation about but was wondering if there were any place you might be able to track them down online?

Are these available to be purchased anywhere still? They were at one time but I missed that opportunity...

andrewcli

The patches that you are referring to were made by Randy Hunt and are considered "fantasy patches." Neither NASA or the astronauts approved them. Other than Apollo 18, I don't think the remaining crews for 19, and 20 were officially assigned and this was based on the probable rotation schedule made by Slayton. Randy passed away a few years ago and his websites are no longer available. So what you see on the market is what there is left.

carl walker

I also find the whole 'what if' missions thing quite interesting. But I mentioned it to Vance Brand and Jerry Carr a few years ago at Autographica. They said they weren't aware of these Hunt patches so I sent them some links. I think they were only mildly interested, since these designs were created a long time after the real events, and as has been said above the crews weren't official or even working on these missions, so it is probably not worth chasing any more details.

Nice idea though.

rje71

Is there any idea where the designs originated?

Robert Pearlman

They were the self-confessed production of Randy Hunt, who lifted heavily (without permission) from other artists, including the sketches produced for Apollo 17 by artist Robert McCall.

I would liken them to the souvenir patches sold for the Mercury missions, but even less desirable for their exploitation of McCall.

robsouth

If anyone has the book, "All We Did Was Fly To The Moon", then you can see the Apollo 18 patch design shown on page 92.

KSCartist

As far as I can recall from when they were offered by Randy Hunt on his site (a few years ago), here are my observations:

He merely turned the Apollo 18 and Apollo 19 patches into embroided patches to sell using the designs of others.

FFrench

I've always liked the fictional Apollo 18 patch created by Michelle Evans of OCSS for a stage play. A great "2001" influence in the design.

I've also thought the Hunt Apollo 19 design was quite similar to the fictional Apollo 18 patch used in James Michener's "Space" miniseries.

QuiGon Grin

quote:Originally posted by KSCartist:Apollo 18 Stonehenge motif was "borrowed" from draft art by McCall for Apollo 17. Apollo 19 was borrowed from Michaelangelo.

I had read this thread earlier in the day, but waited until I got home to post. I was going to ask if anyone knew the symbolism behind the designs of these patches.

I thought that the Apollo 18 patch looked familiar to me, however as it's not a very good representation of Stonehenge, in my opinion, that's why I couldn't place it.

I picked up on the Michaelangelo symbolism in the Apollo 19 patch, but why only two stars and not three?

Robert Pearlman

quote:Originally posted by QuiGon Grin:...however as it's not a very good representation of Stonehenge, in my opinion, that's why I couldn't place it.

McCall's original art had a much clearer representation of Stonehenge, as can be seen on the bottom of the Apollo 17 page from Gene Dorr's space patches website.

hoorenz

quote:Originally posted by QuiGon Grin:I picked up on the Michaelangelo symbolism in the Apollo 19 patch, but why only two stars and not three?

On Rob South's own (now apparently closed) website, there once was a very detailed description along with the design (did Hunt "borrow" it from him, maybe?). It stated that the two stars were included to acknowledge Haise's two Apollo 13 crewmates.

I vaguely remember Rob once stating he had designed a "non flown but widely accepted as official" patch, but correct me if I am wrong!

robsouth

The significance of Michelangelo's hand of God is to highlight that just as this brought life to the form of man, Apollo brought life to the moon in the form of its crews.

Robert Pearlman

If I recall correctly, Haise, Carr and Pogue have all gone on the record over the past few years to say that not only did they not have anything to do with the patch but, as they were never officially assigned to Apollo 19, they never discussed a patch as a crew, or as individuals.

In fact, Haise is quoted in Carr's authorized biography as directly refuting the patch:

The development of spacecraft names and such things as a crew patch was something to work on after the Apollo 19 crew was officially named.

robsouth

I designed the Apollo 18 and Apollo 19 patches. I wanted patches to go on my webpages for those missions so I designed them. The Apollo 18 patch was really just a slightly amended version of the Robert McCall patch. The Apollo 19 patch is all my own work.

robsouth

This is the version of Robert McCall's patch that I had on my website.

My interpretation of the patch was this. Just as studying Stonehenge unlocks the mysteries of the past, the Apollo 18 crew hope that the rocks they return from the moon illuminate the mysteries of the moon. The eight stars represent the eight lunar landing missions from 11 to 18.